Buying a used car in Ireland guide

jkp · 11-05-2011 1:49am

another one here to thank limerick man and all others for the advice posted here.
just bought my first car tonight

and the info in the motors forum really helped me with my search, this thread particularly helped me avoid the first 10 sellers or so i rang...
now to get reading my new(old) owners manual!

jayhassett89 · 11-05-2011 2:39pm

great post

allnighter · 12-05-2011 12:56am

Thanks for the advice LM. I have only been looking at cars from dealers so far. But I think I will be branching out into the private sellers soon. Awesome post!

freddothefrog · 16-05-2011 3:35pm

Thanks for taking the time to write this, a great help!

gustavo · 18-05-2011 11:03am

I presume if you're looking at a car with a dealer and the NCT is due that it's reasonable to expect them to put it through the NCT for you without any change in the asking price ?

L-M · 18-05-2011 11:41am

gustavo wrote: »

I presume if you're looking at a car with a dealer and the NCT is due that it's reasonable to expect them to put it through the NCT for you without any change in the asking price ?

Absolutely, it shouldn't even be a cause for concern.

jonosam · 21-05-2011 9:16pm

Fantastic amount of information here, well done Limerick Man

koura · 23-05-2011 12:35am

Great Post.
Is there any free reg check

L-M · 23-05-2011 11:06am

koura wrote: »

Great Post.
Is there any free reg check

There was a kinda free check with mywheels.ie before, but they upped their price to €7, although from what I've heard it's not a worthwhile check.

Motorcheck.ie or cartell.ie and the ones I would use personally.

rhudson · 08-06-2011 1:05am

what about a guide to selling youre car
the traps too watch out for etc

L-M · 08-06-2011 1:07am

rhudson wrote: »

what about a guide to selling youre car
the traps too watch out for etc

I'll do one of those up soon, I've plenty of stories lately.

MidlandsM · 08-06-2011 10:18am

Limerick man wrote: »

I'll do one of those up soon, I've plenty of stories lately.

Be sure to include to only allow viewings in the Dark!

Bombbastic22 · 08-06-2011 10:42pm

Found this on the consumer connect website under their guide to buying a used car. MAKE THEM WRITE OUT ALL THE ANSWERS AND SIGN AND STAMP IT. IF THEY TRY TO TELL YOU THEY DON'T KNOW - WALK AWAY PRONTO AND BUY YOUR CAR ELSEWHERE!!

Consumer Car Purchase Checklist

Make:

Model:

Seller’s Name:

Seller’s Address:

Reg.:

Seller’s Phone Number (Landline):

Advert seen in (publication/website):

Date:

These questions should be asked in all transactions

Has the car ever been crashed? Yes/No/Details

Has any bodywork been done to the vehicle (by you or by others)?

Has any major mechanical work been done on the vehicle (by you or by others)?

Has the car ever had any electrical problems?

What is the correct mileage for this vehicle?

How many previous owners has the vehicle had?

Is there any outstanding finance on the vehicle?

When was the last full service carried out on the vehicle?

Has the car been imported and if so, have all relevant charges been paid (VAT, VRT etc)?

Are you a member of any trade association?

How long is the guarantee period on the vehicle?

What does the guarantee cover? (parts, labour, etc)

Can you arrange finance for this vehicle?

If so, please list your Credit Intermediary Authorisation number
Signed: Name (Block Letters): On Behalf of:
Name of Garage Garage Stamp

L-M · 08-06-2011 11:44pm

That's a bit far fetched in fairness, any worth while garage will have an order form and most of that will already be on it and if not the serious stuff will be in small print somewhere. Also if you brought that to a private seller, most of them wouldn't entertain it.

My opinion though.

Bombbastic22 · 09-06-2011 10:22am

Limerick man wrote: »

That's a bit far fetched in fairness, any worth while garage will have an order form and most of that will already be on it and if not the serious stuff will be in small print somewhere. Also if you brought that to a private seller, most of them wouldn't entertain it.

My opinion though.

I don't think they are really that keen to tell you a car has been crashed or had bodywork or has any mechanical defects.

All I know is - getting this stuff filled in helped saving me losing a lot of money.

If you have this stuff signed and in writing, you have a comeback, if not, it's your word against theirs.

Also, it's true that a lot of dealers pose as private sellers, or so I've heard. I'd even check their I.D. As I've learned, the hard way, people try to sell you a lot of junk and conceal a lot of facts about cars.

I've also learned that going to solicitors with these things gets you no where - but if you have all the facts - in writing, you may just wrangle a refund if things go wrong.

If you have so much cash it doesn't matter if you lose a few grand - proceed - without all in writing - at your own peril.

TestTransmission · 10-06-2011 7:46am

Bombbastic22 wrote: »

All I know is - getting this stuff filled in helped saving me losing a lot of money.

how exactly?

Bombbastic22 · 10-06-2011 9:43am

TestTransmission wrote: »

how exactly?

Simply because they said I had been informed the car was crashed - I had it in writing that I hadn't.

If it ain't in writing, it may as well not have been said!

MidlandsM · 10-06-2011 9:59am

Bombbastic22 wrote: »

Found this on the consumer connect website under their guide to buying a used car. MAKE THEM WRITE OUT ALL THE ANSWERS AND SIGN AND STAMP IT. IF THEY TRY TO TELL YOU THEY DON'T KNOW - WALK AWAY PRONTO AND BUY YOUR CAR ELSEWHERE!!

Consumer Car Purchase Checklist

Make:

Model:

Seller’s Name:

Seller’s Address:

Reg.:

Seller’s Phone Number (Landline):

Advert seen in (publication/website):

Date:

These questions should be asked in all transactions

Has the car ever been crashed? Yes/No/Details

Has any bodywork been done to the vehicle (by you or by others)?

Has any major mechanical work been done on the vehicle (by you or by others)?

Has the car ever had any electrical problems?

What is the correct mileage for this vehicle?

How many previous owners has the vehicle had?

Is there any outstanding finance on the vehicle?

When was the last full service carried out on the vehicle?

Has the car been imported and if so, have all relevant charges been paid (VAT, VRT etc)?

Are you a member of any trade association?

How long is the guarantee period on the vehicle?

What does the guarantee cover? (parts, labour, etc)

Can you arrange finance for this vehicle?

If so, please list your Credit Intermediary Authorisation number
Signed: Name (Block Letters): On Behalf of:
Name of Garage Garage Stamp

LOL......you'd find it hard for a private seller to fill out all this for a old €1k diesel bora! LOL

Bombbastic22 · 10-06-2011 11:03am

MidlandsM wrote: »

LOL......you'd find it hard for a private seller to fill out all this for a old €1k diesel bora! LOL

Obviously not every question is relevant in every situation but still, no harm to present em with all of them. A 1k diesel bora is still a waste of 1k if it doesn't drive for a whole day without breaking down.

At least a years NCT and a good drive would probably do you in this case.........

MidlandsM · 10-06-2011 11:21am

Bombbastic22 wrote: »

Obviously not every question is relevant in every situation but still, no harm to present em with all of them. A 1k diesel bora is still a waste of 1k if it doesn't drive for a whole day without breaking down.

At least a years NCT and a good drive would probably do you in this case.........

no ****?;)

Bombbastic22 · 10-06-2011 11:39am

MidlandsM wrote: »

no ****?;)

****! lol

L-M · 10-06-2011 12:48pm

*** **** *****

Bombbastic22 · 10-06-2011 1:54pm

Limerick man wrote: »

*** **** *****

ah now, that's taking it too far so it is! lol

L-M · 10-06-2011 1:57pm

Bombbastic22 wrote: »

ah now, that's taking it too far so it is! lol

It doesn't actually say anything :L

Bombbastic22 · 10-06-2011 1:59pm

Limerick man wrote: »

It doesn't actually say anything :L

Jesus, you'll have Ronan Keating going around in me head all day now!! Thanks

" you say it best, when you say nothing at all, da da da lala"

AeroKid · 14-06-2011 9:41am

Hi folks,

looking for some help..plus I'm new to boards.ie! the other thread regarding cheap cars ireland aka pfa, has been blocked so instead of starting another thread I was looking for some information. I traded my old 04 C black VW Golf GTi Turbo about 2 months ago and just wanted to see if the buyer was caught with it as it had high milage? Its a long shot I know but just wanted to get word out there!

MidlandsM · 14-06-2011 10:41am

AeroKid wrote: »

Hi folks,

looking for some help..plus I'm new to boards.ie! the other thread regarding cheap cars ireland aka pfa, has been blocked so instead of starting another thread I was looking for some information. I traded my old 04 C black VW Golf GTi Turbo about 2 months ago and just wanted to see if the buyer was caught with it as it had high milage? Its a long shot I know but just wanted to get word out there!

so you believe the car was clocked by the trader is it?

AeroKid · 14-06-2011 10:48am

Possible..after hearing stories about their antics.

MidlandsM · 14-06-2011 11:29am

so you've no proof, only second hand info.........forget about it.

AeroKid · 14-06-2011 12:42pm

The car I bought off them is still under warranty and when I ring all numbers are discoonected, called to office in Newbridge and all is locked up! Is there any come back on that? Does the car maunfacturer have any obligation if the car is just under 3 years old? Any feed back is grateful!!

L-M · 14-06-2011 2:02pm

AeroKid wrote: »

The car I bought off them is still under warranty and when I ring all numbers are discoonected, called to office in Newbridge and all is locked up! Is there any come back on that? Does the car maunfacturer have any obligation if the car is just under 3 years old? Any feed back is grateful!!

No, you're out of warranty I'm afraid! Unless they're just closed for a very long lunch, but I can imagine them opening up elsewhere under a different name!

hiscan · 14-06-2011 2:25pm

Quick question on the seat belts not retracting,I have that problem with mine can this be fixed?

L-M · 14-06-2011 2:26pm

hiscan wrote: »

Quick question on the seat belts not retracting,I have that problem with mine can this be fixed?

You can get new seatbelts from a scrap yard but you might want to get them fitted by a pro, could be airbag sensors or anything on them! What car is it?

hiscan · 14-06-2011 2:35pm

Limerick man wrote: »

You can get new seatbelts from a scrap yard but you might want to get them fitted by a pro, could be airbag sensors or anything on them! What car is it?

I was thinking that too,it's a Landcruiser

L-M · 14-06-2011 3:45pm

hiscan wrote: »

I was thinking that too,it's a Landcruiser

Aye, no I was just wondering and sometimes in older cars if the seatbelt was taken out and replaced and not put in at the right angle it can make them to cause grief.

What mileage is on it?

hiscan · 14-06-2011 4:01pm

Limerick man wrote: »

Aye, no I was just wondering and sometimes in older cars if the seatbelt was taken out and replaced and not put in at the right angle it can make them to cause grief.

What mileage is on it?

100k miles
I have it since new so I know the history of it,it's just that it's starting to get annoying now having to manually put the seat belt back in although it has passed the DOE with this no bother.

Col200sx · 28-06-2011 9:02am

So I've been looking at a car on Donedeal.

Got the reg and entered it in Motor Tax's VEHICLE STATUS ENQUIRY SEARCH

The following came up, (which I know is normal):

Purchased by a Dealer on : 19/06/2011

Notified on : 22/06/2011

BUT, this car is being sold privately with no mention of a dealer, and when googling his ph number, it brought up a couple of links to a well known crash repair specialist in the East.......

Even though it says: "Genuine reason for sale"

Does it stink of a crashed car, or trying to avoid a warranty or something?

L-M · 28-06-2011 12:16pm

Something is dodgey there if he's saying he's a private seller.

Best thing is to ring him armed with your details and ask him straight out.

Bombbastic22 · 28-06-2011 7:03pm

Col200sx wrote: »

So I've been looking at a car on Donedeal.

Got the reg and entered it in Motor Tax's VEHICLE STATUS ENQUIRY SEARCH

The following came up, (which I know is normal):

Purchased by a Dealer on : 19/06/2011

Notified on : 22/06/2011

Wow, didn't know you could do that! Nice one! ;-)

L-M · 28-06-2011 8:05pm

Bombbastic22 wrote: »

Wow, didn't know you could do that! Nice one! ;-)

Did you even read the origional post :P:P:pac:

Bombbastic22 · 28-06-2011 10:58pm

Limerick man wrote: »

Did you even read the origional post :P:P:pac:

Alas, Limerick Man, I only skimmed it.

I shall hitherto endeavour to pay greater attention to each and every word of your eloquent brilliance as there is no doubt great wisdom to be acquired therein.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart, and my wife's bottom too :pac::pac::pac::pac::pac::):):):):D:D:D

MidlandsM · 29-06-2011 11:53am

Limerick man wrote: »

Something is dodgey there if he's saying he's a private seller.

Best thing is to ring him armed with your details and ask him straight out.

and shure he'll only say no........forget about it.

Starman07 · 30-06-2011 7:10pm

Apologies if posting in the wrong thread, but have a quick question.

Bought a 2nd BMW from a dealer last week, 3 month warranty and full service.They serviced it the day i bought it, but i've just checked and they never stamped it in the book? Is there any reason why they wouldn't have? Or is it just an oversight? Bringing it back in next week to be valeted. Should i insist that it be stamped?

Thanks.

-Chris- · 30-06-2011 7:40pm

Don't insist they stamp the book, just ask. It was probably just a mistake.

whowantstwoknow · 01-07-2011 12:26pm

I'm looking to see what checks can be done on an Irish registered UK import car.

Obviously the SH, VLC, a full motorcheck but I've seen threads here about the V5 serial number and issue date, but isnt the V5 taken by revenue when you do the VRT? If you did have these how and what sort of checks can you do with them?

Anything else?

W.

MidlandsM · 01-07-2011 4:02pm

whowantstwoknow wrote: »

I'm looking to see what checks can be done on an Irish registered UK import car.

Obviously the SH, VLC, a full motorcheck but I've seen threads here about the V5 serial number and issue date, but isnt the V5 taken by revenue when you do the VRT? If you did have these how and what sort of checks can you do with them?

Anything else?

W.

if you have the english reg and english v5c doc no, you can do a dvla mot history check for free online.

PatsyR · 08-07-2011 9:14pm

Is it ok or a bit dodgy to transfer money into the seller's bank account and collect the car later on the same day?

-Chris- · 08-07-2011 9:15pm

Don't pay anything (beyond a reasonable deposit) until you have the car and keys.

Bob Cratchet · 08-07-2011 11:47pm

Blanking out number plates in car ads is all the rage now, supposedly to stop car cloning for tolls etc., but I'm sure it's also done to stop people doing a wee bit of research.

What are frequent buyers experiences regarding this ?

Bombbastic22 · 09-07-2011 12:55am

Bob Cratchet wrote: »

Blanking out number plates in car ads is all the rage now, supposedly to stop car cloning for tolls etc., but I'm sure it's also done to stop people doing a wee bit of research.

What are frequent buyers experiences regarding this ?

Is that the reason? It seems kind of dumb since you could do that with any car at anytime whose reg is visible. I mean, why bother going to look up cars online when you can see em right outside your door.

It would make more sense to cover your reg up before going through tolls right? That way they don't know where to send the fines.

P.S: Joke

Buying a used car in Ireland guide

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